"The Chinese Government Sure Doesn't Fool Around With Their Muslem Population !"

If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

BEIJING — Local governments in a Muslim desert region in western China have imposed strict limits on religious practices during the traditional Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began last week, according to the Web sites of four of those governments.

The rules include prohibiting women from wearing veils and men from growing beards, as well as barring government officials from observing Ramadan. One town, Yingmaili, requires that local officials check up on mosques at least twice a week during Ramadan.

The local governments administer areas in the western part of Xinjiang, a vast autonomous region that is home to the Uighurs, a Muslim Turkic people who often chafe under rule by the ethnic Han Chinese. In August, a wave of attacks swept through Xinjiang, the largest surge of violence in the region in years. Some local officials blamed separatist groups for the instability, and the central government sent security forces to the area.

The limits on religious practices put in place by local governments appear to be part of the broader security crackdown. The areas affected by the new rules are near Kuqa, a town struck by multiple bombings on Aug. 10.

It was unclear whether the rules would be relaxed after Ramadan, an observance that some Islamic extremists have used elsewhere as a symbolic backdrop for attacks on their perceived enemies. It was also unclear how the Chinese authorities intended to enforce the rules, which appeared to run the risk of antagonizing devout Muslims who present no obvious security threat.

The Web site of the town of Yingmaili lists nine rules put in place to “maintain stability during Ramadan.”

They include barring teachers and students from observing Ramadan, prohibiting retired government officials from entering mosques and requiring men to shave off beards and women to doff veils.

Mosques cannot let people from outside of town stay overnight and restaurants must maintain normal hours of business. Because of the sunrise-to-sunset fasting, many restaurants would normally close during daytime for Ramadan.

BEIJING — Local governments in a Muslim desert region in western China have imposed strict limits on religious practices during the traditional Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began last week, according to the Web sites of four of those governments.

The rules include prohibiting women from wearing veils and men from growing beards, as well as barring government officials from observing Ramadan. One town, Yingmaili, requires that local officials check up on mosques at least twice a week during Ramadan.

The local governments administer areas in the western part of Xinjiang, a vast autonomous region that is home to the Uighurs, a Muslim Turkic people who often chafe under rule by the ethnic Han Chinese. In August, a wave of attacks swept through Xinjiang, the largest surge of violence in the region in years. Some local officials blamed separatist groups for the instability, and the central government sent security forces to the area.

The limits on religious practices put in place by local governments appear to be part of the broader security crackdown. The areas affected by the new rules are near Kuqa, a town struck by multiple bombings on Aug. 10.

It was unclear whether the rules would be relaxed after Ramadan, an observance that some Islamic extremists have used elsewhere as a symbolic backdrop for attacks on their perceived enemies. It was also unclear how the Chinese authorities intended to enforce the rules, which appeared to run the risk of antagonizing devout Muslims who present no obvious security threat.

The Web site of the town of Yingmaili lists nine rules put in place to “maintain stability during Ramadan.”

They include barring teachers and students from observing Ramadan, prohibiting retired government officials from entering mosques and requiring men to shave off beards and women to doff veils.

Mosques cannot let people from outside of town stay overnight and restaurants must maintain normal hours of business. Because of the sunrise-to-sunset fasting, many restaurants would normally close during daytime for Ramadan.

We should take a lesson from the Chinese. Instead we roll over every time the Muzzies get their burqas in a wad.

Muslim workers' lunch break talks break down in Colorado

A union official in Greeley, Colo., said about 200 workers have been suspended after walking out of JBS Swift & Co. on Friday, saying they were not allowed to take a lunch break at sunset to end their fast.

GREELEY, Colo. — Talks at a Greeley meatpacking plant over religious accommodations for Muslim workers have broken down, with some workers saying they will not return to work and may take legal action.

A union official said about 200 workers have been suspended after walking out of JBS Swift & Co. on Friday, saying they were not allowed to take a lunch break at sunset to end their fast during the Muslim observance of Ramadan. Up to 300 workers walked out of the plant.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 and Swift met Tuesday to work out differences, which included time for prayer. After talks broke down some Muslim workers said, "No prayer, no work."

I don't see what the problem is with letting the muslim workers take one hour at sunset, one day a year, when most people get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off with pay. Everyone gets a lunch break, why not let them take it at that time for one day a year?

We can't be like the chinese-we have the first amendment, protecting freedom of religion. We can't decree that muslims in our nation don't grow beards during Ramadan, or that women can't wear veils( except in the driver's license/id photos). Of course, muslim restaurants keep normal hours during Ramadan in metro Detroit-they don't want to lose out on business. Lots of non-muslims eat at their restaurants because the food is tasty, healthy, and you get a lot of it for your money.

Anyways, the Chinese should study the lessons of the Roman Empire's attempts to squash Christianity, before they start making unreasonable decrees against muslims. Nothing serves to inspire religious folk to violence and revolution like oppressing them for their beliefs.

I don't see what the problem is with letting the muslim workers take one hour at sunset, one day a year, when most people get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off with pay. Everyone gets a lunch break, why not let them take it at that time for one day a year?

We can't be like the chinese-we have the first amendment, protecting freedom of religion. We can't decree that muslims in our nation don't grow beards during Ramadan, or that women can't wear veils( except in the driver's license/id photos). Of course, muslim restaurants keep normal hours during Ramadan in metro Detroit-they don't want to lose out on business. Lots of non-muslims eat at their restaurants because the food is tasty, healthy, and you get a lot of it for your money.

Anyways, the Chinese should study the lessons of the Roman Empire's attempts to squash Christianity, before they start making unreasonable decrees against muslims. Nothing serves to inspire religious folk to violence and revolution like oppressing them for their beliefs.

I don't see what the problem is with letting the muslim workers take one hour at sunset, one day a year, when most people get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off with pay. Everyone gets a lunch break, why not let them take it at that time for one day a year?

We don't know what the op tempo is for JBS Swift. Management may have had a legitimate reason for denying the request. The fact that we can't see the problem doesn't mean that there isn't one. The thing that I found surprising is that there were 200 Moslem workers who walked off. That's a lot of Moslems working at one company.

Originally Posted by noonwitch

We can't be like the chinese-we have the first amendment, protecting freedom of religion. We can't decree that muslims in our nation don't grow beards during Ramadan, or that women can't wear veils( except in the driver's license/id photos). Of course, muslim restaurants keep normal hours during Ramadan in metro Detroit-they don't want to lose out on business. Lots of non-muslims eat at their restaurants because the food is tasty, healthy, and you get a lot of it for your money.

We will eventually have to come to a decision as to how far accomodation of religion can impact on the legitimate interests of both the state and individual citizens. For example, there have been several lawsuits by Moslem women against DMVs, in which they demanded the "right" to be photographed in full veils for their drivers' licences. Then there are the cabbies at the Minneapolis airport who refuse to allow liquor in their cabs. There are also imams in the US who are demanding that Sharia Law be imposed, or at least recognized. That last is not only a violation of the First Amendment, but an advocation of the overthrow of our constitutional order. The paradox is that the invocation of the First Amendment by those imams is being used to subvert it.

Originally Posted by noonwitch

Anyways, the Chinese should study the lessons of the Roman Empire's attempts to squash Christianity, before they start making unreasonable decrees against muslims. Nothing serves to inspire religious folk to violence and revolution like oppressing them for their beliefs.

The Chinese have their own history, which includes periods of instability caused by religious factions which have often sought to overthrow the existing power structure. The most famous of these was the Boxer Rebellion. That's why they are so freaked out by the Falun Gong, which is basically a harmless group of tai chi practitioners, but which is also a religious movement with millions of followers who are practicing beliefs outside of the sanction of the state.